Bongani Innocent Madlala, born February 18th 1993, lives with his 47 year old mother Annie Manosi Sikakane in Howick, KwaZulu Natal. The little boy aged ten years old, came to stay with Children of Fire in Auckland Park in March 2003.
He lost most of an arm and an ear, due to severe burns at the age of three months. The family werre living at Impendle at the time and a candle fell from a table on to his bed setting the pillow and his bedclothes alight, around May/June of 1993. Because of his young age there are no photographs taken of him before the accident.
He is in Grade 4 at Cosmo Primary School, Howick West (tel 033-330-3744). The principal Mr. Singh was interested and pleased to learn why Bongani was going to Gauteng Province. He said that Bongani is treated as a perfectly normal member of the school and takes part in everything, including sport. Annie proudly told me that he took part in a race at Midmar on March 21st 2003 and finished No. 4 and now has a medal to show for it!
The house is in Kwa Mevana township on the edge of the town of Howick. It was originally built for the workers for the Sarmcol Rubber Factory. It is brick built with four rooms (two bedrooms) and has a rudimentary electricity supply. Annie's various employers often buy her R10 tokens for the pre-paid meter.
Bongani has three brothers aged 20, 18, and 7. His father, who is unemployed, seems to be very little involved in the family and Annie appears to be the sole breadwinner, working in gardens for five days a week for three different families. Annie's father-in-law died in 2002 but his wife is still alive so there is a granny and an auntie living in the house plus all Annie's family. Bongani's eldest brother Lucky (20) has been ill, spent some time in Edenvale Hospital recently and has to go to Wentworth Hospital in Durban at end March for an operation for what appears to be a heart problem.
Bongani was brought to our attention after Yvonne Spain, who works with another children's charity CINDI, spoke to Howick Rotary about Children of Fire bringing a maxillofacial prosthetist over to South Africa. A Rotarian, Trish Taylor, remembered the child because his mother works for her.
While arrangements were not concluded in time to meet that specialist, the charity is exploring all possible options to optimise Bongani's quality of life.
Also all the children who come to visit, enjoy a break away from home in a place equiped with lots of playthings and new experiences, so his time in Auckland Park will be happy.
Transport to Johannesburg was arranged with Moray Hawthorne, a partner at the legal firm Webber Wentzel Bowens which is assisting the charity in its endeavours to empower squatter camp communities.
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